Find Out How Social Engineering Attackers use PDF Attachments and How to Prevent them from Phishing

As we know, cybercriminals are continuously finding different new ways to attack on our devices. Nowadays, they have found a new way to do it through PDF attachments. It is a latest and effective way to enter user’s email account and to steal their important data or information, but before proceeding, one needs to know how to identify Phishing attacks and protect our devices and data.

Currently, Phishing is being done by Social Engineering

Recently, Social Engineering uses PDF files for Phishing attacks. They are damaging some data such as- saved Excel file which we can be displayed with Microsoft Excel with the help of email details. Usually, it is used with an official communication email message. It urges the potential victim to open the file by following the link offered in the PDF file.

Sometimes, you have seen while opening an attachment, and an error message is displayed on the screen that instructs you to “Open document” with Microsoft Excel.” In reality, this is a link to a website.

In case, if you are a new user, then this way is enough to raise the alarm since Adobe Reader is used for reading a PDF file, and not an Excel file.

Click on the link then open your browser. Now move to a web page. On this page, the Social Engineering are attacks continuously with a message that the document is protected because it is confidential. After that, you need to sign your email account with the email address.

The social engineering is using one another way for phishing which involves a slight variation. In this event, the PDF urges a user to click on a link to that supposedly takes him to an address. You will see a Dropbox-hosted document online. Here, the user is redirected to a phishing page that “allows” him to get the document only if he entered all of that correct email details.

Suggestion- You should always check the URL address. If it is starting with HTTP, not HTTPS, it means it is not a secure session but a well-crafted phishing page. If you get anything like this then immediately close the page and exit from that!

Social engineering always uses a link to attacks and takes advantage and makes the fear in front of the user that weak to a user to click on that link. So you should remember that always never open the email attachments or click links in suspicious emails. However, security features and antivirus programs can help you identify and stop phishing attacks on your computer system. Please read this article carefully to prevent all these phishing issues.

How Social Engineering attacks enter -your email?

If you are thought why is social engineering use this way for phishing than we have to tell you because It is a human element? So, if you are trying to preventing these attacks than we need to aware you that it can be can be tricky for enterprises. In spite of, it makes the urgency, fear, and other negative emotions in the user that are forcing him to click on a malicious link or opening a malicious file. On that condition, the user has to do this.

When you have entered your details, the cybercriminal has access to your email. They have started the phishing attacks against your contacts, or gain access to your online banking.

Know How You can Prevent them?

Microsoft Edge browser can block these phishing pages from loading with the help of SmartScreen technology. So we want to suggest users that they have to use the Edge browser for web browsing to get a quick relief with phishing. Some of the famous such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome recent versions are coming with essential tools to avoid phishing instances. So, kindly use the latest release of advanced Internet Browsers always, if you want to get a perfect relief with all these phishing issues.

In another way, Windows Defender is also able to remove and block malicious PDF attachments and other malicious code.